There are various steps to design and frame efficient questionnaires, mentioned below:
Step I: Identify The Target Information The first step in the process starts with identifying and understanding the nature of the information required. An organization must have a clear idea of the kind of data it wants to gather. To do so effectively, an organization can evaluate past surveys and identify the missing information.
Step II: Identify the Target Group Of Respondents A particular question might be inappropriate for a particular community section, whereas it might be relevant for another. Hence, the business organizations must define an appropriate population or relevant target group of customers to be tapped and contacted. Age, education, and ethnicity play an important role in deciding the target groups.
Step III: Select The Method For Connecting With Target Groups The targeted group of customers can be tapped and reached out using several methods, such as:
Personal Interviews
Group Interviews
Telephone Interviews or
A mailed questionnaire
The selection of the communication method depends largely on the type of information required. As a rule of thumb, more personal information must be gathered using a more personal way of establishing contact.
Step IV: Designing The Questions This is probably the most important step while designing a questionnaire. The success or failure of the entire exercise depends upon the relevance and appropriateness of the questions designed. An organization must strive to include only those questions in a questionnaire that can contribute towards the information required in Step I critically.
Types Of Questions
It is typical for a questionnaire to contain the following types of questions, which are:
Open-Ended Questions: These questions require a respondent to reply in full sentences, rather than just responding with a Yes/No. This helps obtain a more comprehensive response to a situation as people usually mention the rationale behind choosing a particular option. For Example,
What is your perception of privately branded products?
How frequently do you buy our products?
Closed-Ended Questions: These questions require only a single word answer, that is, a Yes or a No. It is convenient for the respondents to reply to these questions as they are not required to share any logic or explanation behind choosing a particular option. For Example,
Have you ever purchased a privately branded product?
Do you prefer price over quality?
Rating Questions: These questions usually require a respondent to give numbers/stars/smiles/hearts or any other item while rating a question. For Example,
How would you rate our service on a scale of one to give?
How many stars out of five would you give to our products?
Ways To Improve Appearance Of A Questionnaire
The physical appearance of a questionnaire has a noteworthy impact on the group of respondents that can improve in the following ways:
Use Of Different Fonts: The usage of a simple and plain font in the entire document leads to boredom, and the respondents might feel it is too time-consuming. Hence, it is a common practice to type questions in different fonts to make them more creative and engaging.
Instructions For Respondents: Every question in a questionnaire is different and might be answered differently. Thus, instructions are placed beside every question that defines how the question has to be attempted.
